The Dutch agri-food sector generates €52.2 billion which represents 20% of the total export value of the Netherlands. A huge sector that is very important for the entire Dutch economy. The agricultural sector increasingly makes use of technological innovation and digitisation in the production process. This results in general digital processes. If you sell your products online in a B2B webshop the entire process is digital. This not only saves costs but also time. When selling more capital goods our clients opt for more offer requests (lead generation). Targeted online marketing in the agricultural sector can bring you more profit? We would like to inform you more about this through this B2B update.
Digitalisation of the agricultural sector
The laws and regulations governing the sector are continually tightened to optimise innovation. Because global technology is becoming a standard concept it is important for the agricultural sector to participate. Even though the sector is more traditional, digitising is necessary to prepare your company for the future. And in this case, the future is now. It is therefore important to embrace the focus of innovation on the production processes as well as the online marketing part in the agricultural sector. Currently (in 2018) the demand side is more active than the supply side.
Why is the agricultural sector running behind with online marketing?
- The level of integration is low
The agricultural sector is still lagging behind in terms of digitisation, let alone B2B online marketing. In the rather traditional sector people are reluctant to go along with the online world. That’s why many agricultural companies still use paper for their processes, slowing them down. Meanwhile, your potential buyer is looking for your type of products or services. - Slechte internet verbindingen op het platteland
This may seem typical but it is still important that the countryside also has good internet connections. This is often not seen as a priority. But think of the processes that can all be digitised in the field. Always having an online connection means always receiving up-to-date information that can be implemented in your processes automatically. Farmers often still work a lot offline which is why the entire digitisation of the agricultural sector is still lagging behind. - Not convinced of online successes
Many companies in the agricultural sector are not yet convinced by online search. They think that their customers or suppliers do not orientate themselves online and have a greater need for direct contact. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is a fact that 95-98% of B2B buyers orientate themselves online, also in this sector. In addition, there are thousands of agri-related searches per month in Google. Good to respond to this. More and more agricultural companies perform online marketing to generate more leads. Less money is invested in offline marketing and in turn this money is invested in online marketing. The first step here is often a B2B website. However, it is important to know that successful business online involves more than just creating a website.
Online Marketing in the agricultural sector
Online marketing in the agricultural sector can still offer you many opportunities. Especially since the sector does not adapt very quickly you can still be ahead of the competition. There are several online marketing techniques that can be applied in this sector.
Webshop
In a B2B webshop you can easily sell your products automatically. A website can be created for the most diverse products. By adding good product descriptions Google will find your webshop better (SEO). Hence, you have more traffic on the website resulting in more sales and hopefully more profit. If you only supply to certain suppliers it is also possible to order directly through a shop. The advantage of this is that the process is automated and that you are not lagging behind online. Such processes often go through a log-in module.
Content marketing
Start writing! Content is highly appreciated by Google and this makes it possible to rank your website higher. When you regularly write content about related topics it is not only seen as positive by Google but also by your website visitors. Because the sector is lagging behind digitisation, there is not much content written by experts to be found. Distinguish yourself by starting to write! The best option is to write a cornerstone article. These articles of at least 900 words are indexed as relevant and professional content.
E-mail marketing
Despite the fact that a large part of the agricultural sector is still lagging behind digitisation, almost everyone in this target group has an e-mail address. On this address they can receive relevant offers and information from you. Nobody is waiting to be spammed, therefore it is important to first analyse the behavior of the target group based on data. You want to be found when they are looking for your products or services (inbound marketing). Or you respond to this with targeted e-mail marketing.
How do I implement that?
Companies active in the agricultural sector are increasingly confronted with technological developments in the production process. It is important to conduct online marketing to stand out to potential buyers and to distinguish yourself from competitors in the agricultural sector. Jelba is a specialist in this field and can help your business grow through more online requests or transactions. Would you like to know more about the online behaviour of your target group in the agricultural sector? And what you can do to grow your business online? Do not hesitate to contact us.
Online marketing in other B2B sectors
Read more about the state of online marketing in logistics and transport, find interesting information about online marketing in construction and installation or find out what the opportunities are in terms of online marketing in the industrial sector. Jelba’s experts will be happy to talk to you about this.
Do you have any comments or are you curious what we can do for you? Do not hesitate to contact us without obligation.
Finally
The goal of all our customers is to achieve more turnover via the Internet. We ensure that they succeed in this mission. If you are a B2B company, we would like to provide insight into your online opportunities without obligation. And give you advice on where you stand in relation to your competitors. Click here to request this scan.